Thursday, June 14, 2007

Woodfin Will Challenge Order to Pony Up

Thu, Jun 14, 2007 at 4:55 PM

Woodfin Suites Hotel has vowed to appeal the City of Emeryville's recent order that the hotel pay back-wages of at least $125,000 to about sixty housekeeping employees for not complying with the city's living wage law.

Woodfin has failed twice in federal court to challenge Measure C, the 2005 living wage law passed by voters that applies to Emeryville's hospitality workers. Hotel management claim they're being held to an unfair double standard that conflicts with federal law. Labor activists, meanwhile, say the workers were illegally underpaid. The city also levied a penalty of $31,500 for failing to produce proper wage records in a timely manner.

The dispute between Woodfin and Emeryville began after Woodfin fired 21 of its housekeepers for having invalid Social Security numbers. The full backstory is here.